Data-backed planning intelligence · 2,500,000+ decisions analysed across England

Rear Extension Approval Rates in Forest of Dean

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 544 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Forest of Dean.

544 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated March 2026
95.8%
Approval Rate
544
Decisions
521
Approved
23
Refused
95.8% approved. But 23 refused since 2020. Each refusal cost the homeowner time and money on drawings and application fees. Understanding your local data before you apply is the difference between confidence and a costly gamble.

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Why rear extension approval rates matter

Rear extensions sit in the middle of the pack nationally. They're common enough that councils have clear precedent — but that cuts both ways. If your neighbours have been refused, that precedent works against you too.

Rear Extension approval rate by ward

#WardDecisionsApprovedRate
1Mitcheldean, Ruardean & Drybrook55
100.0%
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These are council averages. Your property is specific.

Two houses on the same street can get different outcomes.
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How rear extensions compare to other project types

Not all applications are treated equally. Here's how rear extensions stack up against other common projects in Forest of Dean.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension40
100.0%
Front Extension71
98.6%
Loft Conversion51
98.0%
Side Extension415
97.3%
Conservatory178
96.1%
Rear Extension544
95.8%
Dormer94
93.6%
Extension (General)632
93.4%
Outbuilding374
92.2%
Annex238
89.5%
Garage / Parking1,108
89.0%
New Build503
82.9%
Change of Use (Residential)458
80.1%
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What the data tells us

1
95.8% of rear extension applications in Forest of Dean get approved. That means 23 homeowners since 2020 have been refused. Not terrible odds, but not a foregone conclusion.
3
Council averages are starting points, not guarantees. The decisions that matter most are the comparable ones near your specific property — because planning officers look at precedent, character and the immediate context of your street.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

23 rear extension applications in Forest of Dean have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A £79 report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More Forest of Dean planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 544 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Forest of Dean, January 2020 to present. Classification uses keyword matching against proposal descriptions (matching generate_site_data.py rules). A single application may appear in multiple categories. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid applications excluded. Data from Forest of Dean Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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